If you don’t know, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical objects embedded with electronics, sensors and network connectivity. This network then allows the devices to talk to each other, and other networked devices, to exchange data.
But it’s not enough for these devices to just exchange data. Being able to interpret that data, and to proactively manage the devices themselves, is key to businesses being able to leverage the IoT’s power. This is where Italian company Solair has excelled, offering technologies to not only allow connectivity to the devices, but to manage and maintain them and the systems/services those devices offer.
Solair was founded in 2011, and since then has become very successful in defining how IoT devices are monitored and managed. It’s this success, and Microsoft’s ambition to tap into the IoT market, which has led to Microsoft acquiring Solair. Sam George, Partner Director for Azure IoT has said:
Solair’s IoT customization and deployment solutions, built on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, are engineered to help businesses in any industry utilize IoT to run more efficiently and profitably.
From fridges to manufacturing lines, IoT devices are enabling businesses and consumers to tap into information feeds previously not available to them. For example, Rancilio Group’s espresso machines are IoT enabled, with Solair using cloud-based data analytics to provide the business with data to enable cost reductions and revenue increases.
While no details of the deal have been revealed, the rise of cloud computing and IoT devices is making not just Microsoft, but much of the wider tech industry, try to stay ahead of the curve, at least in terms of where consumer and enterprise level computing and data handling is concerned.
Source: Microsoft Blog